Don’t let my title confuse you: Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease is one of the most insidious illnesses in the United States. It’s also becoming a worldwide killer — as many as 1.24 billion people globally have NAFLD, resulting in 168,969 deaths every year.
I’ve worked with dozens of patients with NAFLD. Many of their previous doctors told them it was an ‘incurable’ disease.
And yet, many of them have gone on to completely reverse their fatty liver diagnosis. They’ve also changed their relationship with food, lost hundreds of pounds, and balanced their bloodwork without medication.
This path to reversing NAFLD may be simple, but it’s certainly not easy.
This is because:
You weren’t told the truth about your metabolic health
You’ve gone your whole life without drinking more than a glass of wine per week. You eat salads and fruit, take supplements daily, and even walk at least twice a week.
So how did you end up with a chronic disease?
The truth is that:
- Chronic disease is progressive.
- It starts with your metabolic health.
- And it has very little to do with genetics (contrary to popular belief).
Unfortunately, the American medical system has done a bad job of communicating this. As many as 98% of people have never even heard of NAFLD, and 70% of them don’t believe it’s even a preventable condition.
This is not your fault. It’s the failing of a medical system that lacks the education and resources to do better.
This is why I want to start with your education first. Because once you know the root cause of NAFLD, there’s nothing that could stop you from reclaiming your health.
So – how did you get NAFLD in the first place?
The short answer is: poor metabolic health.
The longer answer is: too much fat building up in your liver.
Researchers have drawn strong connections between NAFLD and:
When you peel back the layers and take a closer look, you’ll see everything points to how your body handles energy.
Let’s use me as an example.
10 years ago, I was 100 pounds overweight and addicted to processed foods. I was fat, insulin resistant, and on a fast track to heart disease.
Up until that point, I’d followed the food pyramid to a ‘T.’ I played sports, took walks, and ate salads several times per week.
But what I didn’t do was nurture my metabolic health. I was overloading my body with processed ‘near-food objects’ and starving my system of the nutrients it needed.
10 years later, I feel like a completely different person. I’ve lost 100 pounds and kept it off. No more risk factors for NAFLD, and I’m confident that’s not going to change.
If you look the way I did 10 years ago, I want to apologize on behalf of Big Food. You’ve been (quite literally) fed hundreds of misleading marketing messages from food corporations without your best interests in mind.
You’ve also been told ‘a calorie is just a calorie’ since you were old enough to read.
The good news is, you know better now.
And you can arm yourself with the skills required to reverse NAFLD permanently.
How patients reverse their NAFLD
I encourage my clients to turn their NAFLD diagnosis into a catalyst so they can dig deeper into research and learn more about their metabolic health.
My most successful patients make three basic changes and start seeing results in as little as two weeks.
1. Only eat whole, real foods
I realize I sound like a broken record, but I need to emphasize that processed food is the root of poor metabolic health.
Because garlic breads, fries, and frozen pizzas are probably the most convenient ‘near food objects’ that can potentially destroy your health.
Instead of relying on processed or packaged food, I advocate eating food that comes from the ground or eats what grows on the ground. This is a diet of whole, real food such as animal protein, milk, and eggs instead of energy bars, milkshakes, and ‘healthy’ breakfast cereals.
A quick look at the science shows how powerful whole food can be:
- Certain bacterial cultures in raw dairy may actually increase liver function.
- Switching from seed and vegetable oils to alternatives like avocado oil may improve the markers of NAFLD.
- High-protein diets can reduce liver fat by up to 48% in six weeks (regardless of body weight changes)
Good news: finding whole, real food isn’t as hard as it sounds.
First, start shopping the outer rim of your grocery store. This is where you’re going to find the least processed foods.
You can also visit your local farmers market so you know where your food comes from. Signing up for a local CSA isn’t a bad alternative.
Either way, you shouldn’t need much food that comes with a label — although you should get comfortable reading ingredient lists at the store.
If you’re looking for specific guidance, I have a free guide explaining how to do this on my blog.
2. Cut sugar
Cutting sugar will look different for everyone — but with a NAFLD diagnosis, you may want to be more strict.
Cookies, candies, and other processed sweets are obviously off the table. You may also need to reevaluate your relationship with other sweeteners such as agave, date sugar, and honey (at least for a short time).
From there, slowly wean yourself off artificial sweeteners. Fake sugars like sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin are positively associated with NAFLD.
You may also want to decrease your fructose intake. This doesn’t necessarily mean giving up all fruit: most of your high-concentration fructose ‘foods’ are fruit juices and sodas. That said, if you’re suffering from severe NAFLD, you may want to consider an elimination diet. Pairing this with a CGM is a great way to fend off blood sugar spikes.
3. Stop focusing on cardio workouts
Losing excess body fat can help you reverse NAFLD. But if you’re only doing cardio, you may be focused on the wrong things.
Gaining muscle, not burning fat, is the easiest way to sustainably lose weight. Every pound of muscle requires three times more energy than fat, which means increasing your muscle mass will naturally decrease your body fat.
I highly recommend starting with resistance training. You can do this at home or at the gym.
Equipment may help, but it’s certainly not necessary.
And if you’re not sure how to start, I wrote a guide on how to exercise for metabolic heath.
Taking the jump to better metabolic health
NAFLD can be a major wake-up call.
But in my humble opinion, this doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
You now have the power to not just reverse your condition, but potentially save your life.
And if you’re ready to reclaim your metabolic health, start with my free metabolic health quiz.